AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn football finalized its list of matchups for the 2018 season over the weekend when it announced a late-season home game against FBS-bound Liberty.

While the Tigers still need to find one more non-conference opponent to round out their 2019 slate, the biggest gap on the future schedules is in 2020. Auburn does not have a Power 5 opponent scheduled for that year, and it must have one under SEC rules.

Auburn has met its Power 5 requirement for the next three seasons, and a pair of home-and-home series is enough for 2021 through 2024.

The number of possible matchups for Auburn in 2020 are diminishing. Many big-name programs already have their Power 5 games set for that year. Almost every school in the Big 12 has filled up its 2020 non-conference schedule, as the league only has three of those games per year.

Auburn has three scheduling options for the 2020 season.

The Tigers could play another one-off, neutral-site game against a big-name opponent like it will in 2018 and 2019 against Washington and Oregon.

The Tigers could schedule a home-and-home series with the first leg coming in 2020 and the second leg coming in 2025 or later. The most recent example of this is Kansas State, which played at Auburn in 2007. Auburn didn’t make the return trip to Manhattan until 2014.

The Tigers could schedule a one-off home game against a lower-caliber Power 5 team. The most recent example of this is Washington State, which played Auburn to open the 2013 season. The Tigers didn’t have to make a return trip to Pullman. These are extremely tough to schedule.

Using the future schedule database at FBSchedules.com, here is a snapshot Auburn’s possible 2020 opponents. These are teams that don’t have Power 5 opponents set for 2020 and could work within Auburn’s future scheduling slots.

Auburn could schedule a matchup with USC for the first time since the early 2000s. (Getty Images)

USC Trojans

Type: One-off neutral site or extended home-and-home

Series history: USC leads, 2-1

Last meeting: 2003

This is the most marquee matchup possible for Auburn in the 2020 season. USC is one of the biggest brand names in college football, and the buzz is starting to come back for the Trojans after their run to the Rose Bowl last season. Auburn played a home-and-home series in 2002 and 2003 against USC, with the Trojans taking both matchups — including a shutout win in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn could make a streak of three straight Pac-12 opponents with a potential neutral site game against USC, which is coached by former Auburn quarterback Clay Helton. However, USC only has a game against Fresno State scheduled for 2025, meaning a delayed home-and-home agreement could work.

Auburn has never played Stanford, a possible marquee opponent for 2020. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Stanford Cardinal

Type: One-off neutral site

Series history: No previous matchups

Stanford is another Pac-12 powerhouse that could jump into a potential three-year streak for Auburn. The Cardinal developed into a force under Jim Harbaugh and now David Shaw. The appeal of a first-ever matchup works here too for the Tigers.

There are some potential pitfalls, though — Stanford plays two strong independents in Notre Dame and BYU in 2020, and it has a 2025 matchup set at Vanderbilt. But if the two teams could play a neutral-site game or a home-and-home that comes back in 2026, it could work.

North Carolina hasn’t played Auburn since 2001, when the Tar Heels won the Peach Bowl. (Getty Images)

North Carolina Tar Heels

Type: One-off neutral site

Series history: North Carolina leads, 4-2

Last meeting: 2001

How’s this for some history? Auburn’s first three matchups against North Carolina came in 1892, 1898 and 1902. The Tigers took back-to-back wins over North Carolina in 1987 and 1988 — their first in the series — and North Carolina won the 2001 Peach Bowl over Auburn.

This is an SEC vs. ACC matchup that makes so much sense for neutral-site games. The Chick-fil-A Kickoff already has two games set for 2020, but these two sides could get creative. One possibility: The Tar Heels played South Carolina at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, and they could welcome the Tigers. Auburn playing a game in Cam Newton’s home stadium would be a good selling point.

Auburn could revisit an old home-and-home matchup with Nebraska, which is famous for its sellout crowds at Memorial Stadium. (Getty Images)

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Type: Extended home-and-home

Series history: Nebraska leads, 3-1

Last meeting: 2007

Auburn’s short history with Nebraska features the 1964 Orange Bowl, a home-and-home in the mid-1980s and the Tigers’ 2007 Cotton Bowl victory. A neutral site matchup just doesn’t fit Nebraska’s style — the Huskers love their home games, and they’ve got quite a few home-and-homes lined up for the next several years.

The Tigers could fit a matchup with the Huskers in 2020 and book a return leg for later, after the Penn State and California series. Nebraska already has a gap between its matchups with Arizona in 2028 and 2031, so this type of unique scheduling wouldn’t be a shock to the system.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have never crossed paths with Auburn. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Iowa Hawkeyes

Type: Extended home-and-home

Series history: No previous matchups

This is just like a potential Nebraska matchup, except for the fact the Tigers have never played the Hawkeyes.

Iowa plays Iowa State every year, which would fill its Power 5 requirement, and it doesn’t have a marquee series on tap for the future. The Hawkeyes don’t have to do something like this, but it’s a possibility with their schedule gaps.

Duke once came to Auburn for a paycheck game, but would the Blue Devils do it again? (Lance King/Getty Images)

Duke Blue Devils

Type: One-off game or extended home-and-home

Series history: Tied, 3-3

Last meeting: 1980

Like North Carolina, this series has some extended history. The Tigers and the Blue Devils first played in 1892, and then they played four straight games in the 1930s. Since then, a 1980 matchup in Auburn is it for these two southern schools.

A home-and-home with Duke would be a tougher one to schedule — the Blue Devils have Power 5 matchups against Illinois set for 2025 and 2026. This game has one-off potential, but Duke is already playing Alabama at a neutral site in 2019. If the Tigers could convince Duke to play one game in Auburn, this could work. But even with its losing record in 2016, Duke might be too big for that arrangement.

Northwestern football has gone from doormat to dangerous in the Big Ten over the last several seasons. (Getty Images)

Northwestern Wildcats

Type: One-off game or extended home-and-home

Series history: Auburn leads, 1-0

Last meeting: 2010

The only time Auburn and Northwestern played against each other, they had one of the wildest bowl games in recent memory. Northwestern threw five interceptions and tried a fake field goal in overtime, but Auburn held on for the first bowl win of Gene Chizik’s tenure.

Northwestern has an opening in 2020 and 2025 if Auburn is willing to do a home-and-home. A neutral site matchup doesn’t make much sense here, and Northwestern probably has had too much recent success to agree to a paycheck game. However, both are still in the realm of possibility if Auburn doesn’t book a trip to the Chicago area.